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Month: May 2016

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern-day life, you may be attempting to juggle a full-time job (or two), in addition to caring for your young children at home. There might be times when you have no choice but to work overtime, which could mean having no one available to look after your little ones.

One of the first options to come to mind is to hire a helper or nanny, or even an aupair, which will no doubt relieve you of some of the daily stress.

Though they may both entail caring for children, there are some fine distinctions between au pairs and nannies that you must know. Let’s find out about these differences in detail.

Expertise

A typical au pair is anywhere between the ages of 18-30, and most likely going through college, or a fresh graduate. Their aim of joining the au pair program is to gain some experience in the field of child care, as well as getting immersed in new cultures and languages.

Nannies, on the other hand, are usually older, and are most of the time locals. Their primary aim in caring for children is not for the cultural experience, but rather in further pursuit of their professional child care career.

Length of Stay

Another key difference between the two roles is that au pairs are only assigned to their host family for a limited amount of time; in this case, from a minimum of six continuous months up to a year.

Conversely, nannies can stay for a longer period – indefinitely if the family wishes to do so. The downside of having a nanny, though, is that it takes a lot of time and effort to find one who is trustworthy and dependable. This isn’t the case with au pairs, as each of them undergoes a background check before going overseas.

Background

Lastly, since an au pair will be coming from a different country, he/she may need a certain adjustment period to the new culture, as well as may need to learn a new language. This is in contrast to nannies who would be much more familiar with the culture.

However, this isn’t a hindrance to an au pair taking good care of your children; rather, it’s all part of experiencing directly what it’s like to be away from their homeland for a long period of time. This will also help them for their later development in their professional life.

Welcoming an au pair into your home will definitely benefit both sides; you’ll have someone capable of taking good care of your children, at the same time giving the au pair a first-hand cultural experience that they’ll never forget! If you’re interested in taking in an au pair for your family, contact the aupair bureau – Wecare AuPair.